Books into Summer Movies July 29, 2010
Posted by Dori in Fiction, Mystery, Uncategorized.add a comment
Summer is traditionally when Hollywood releases a load of blockbusters – movies that are big on action and meant to rake in money – not become works of art. Some summer films are little less action packed – some are even inspired by books! Let’s take a look at what’s been released already and what we have to look forward to:
June:
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (June 11), based on the 2002 biographical novel by Chris Greenhalgh, is about their revolutionary approaches to art and their eventual love affair.
Winter’s Bones (June 11) is based on Daniel Woodrell’s 2006 book set in the Ozarks about a young girl who must search for her drug-dealing father in order to keep her family together.
The Killer Inside Me (June 18 – limited release) is based on the 1952 novel by pulp fiction writer Jim Thompson about a psychotic West Texas deputy sheriff.
Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30) is adapted from the 2007 third novel in Stephanie Meyer’s vampire series and focuses on Bella’s choice between werewolf Jacob and vampire Edward.
July:
The Girl Who Played with Fire (July 9) is based on Steig’s second novel about computer hacker Lisbeth and journalist Mikael as they investigate a sex-trafficking ring.
Ramona and Beezus (July 23) is adapted from Beverly Cleary’s classic 1955 novel about the adventures of young Ramona Quimby and her big sister Beezus.
Charlie St. Cloud (July 30), based on Ben Sherwood’s 2004 novel The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, is a romantic drama about a young man who must choose between his commitment to his dead brother and his new relationship.
The Extra Man (July 30) is based on the 1998 novel by Jonathan Ames about a man who works escorting wealthy widows in New York’s Upper East Side.
August:
Flipped (Aug. 6) is based on Wendelin Van Draanen’s 2001 young adult novel about two eighth graders who start to have feelings for each other despite being total opposites.
Eat Pray Love (Aug. 13) is an adaptation of the memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert about a woman who decides to travel the world after realizing she needs to change her life.
Tales from Earthsea (Aug. 13) is an animated adaption featuring characters and plots from Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea fantasy series.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Aug. 13), based on The comic Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O’Malley is about a young man who must defeat his new girlfriend’s seven evil exes in order to win her heart.
Mao’s Last Dancer (Aug. 20 – limited release) is based on Chinese-Australian ballet dancer Li Cunxin’s 2003 autobiography about his defection after a cultural exchange trip to Texas.
Nanny McPhee Returns (Aug. 20), an adapted sequel based on the Nurse Matilda children’s books by British author Christianna Brand, is about how Nanny helps a young mother trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war.
The Switch (Aug. 20) is adapted from the short story “Baster” by Jeffrey Eugenides about an unmarried 40-year-old woman who becomes pregnant through artificial insemination and her best friend who, seven years later, finds out that he is the father of her child.
~ Dori
Get your Daily Prophet here! June 26, 2010
Posted by Julie in Fantasy, Uncategorized.Tags: Book news, Families, Fantasy, Harry Potter, Young Adult
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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has opened in Universal Studios Orlando!! It looks like it an amazing experience for fans of the books (which would seem to include a great proportion of the world’s population). An interesting note is that althougth there are no doubt numerous opportunities to shop in the park, Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods is the only place to buy Rowling’s books. Fun, no?
I need to start planning my trip to Florida – do you think the Floo Network operates between Cleveland and Orlando?
— Julie
Ohio: The Heart of It All! April 24, 2010
Posted by carol in Thoughtful Ramblings, Uncategorized.Tags: Gray & Company
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During tough economic times, we have to make sacrifices. This might mean postponing or cancelling your summer vacation plans. Why not make the best of your ‘staycation’ right here in Ohio, where there is plenty to do and see–all within a few hours drive.
Need some help planning that staycation? Pick up Neil Zurcher’s Ohio Road Trips for some wonderful suggestions. Local publishers Gray and Co. have provided a copy of this book to our library for review. Mr. Zurcher has written a useful resource for Ohioans and Ohio-lovers. Now in its 2nd edition, this guidebook is chock-full of Zurcher’s personal favorite destination ideas. Our local king of the ‘one-tank-trip’ lets folks decide how far they want to travel in order to seek out some of the Buckeye state’s most popular tourist destinations, like Amish country, Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Cleveland’s Rock Hall. Ohio Road Trips is arranged by region, and includes addresses and phone numbers, for those smart cookies who plan their trip and/or call ahead to inquire about any costs & hours of operation for each destination.
Readers and potential travelers won’t be bored reading this cleverly written guide! Even lifelong Ohio residents will be surprised by some of the offerings included. For example, did you know there is an accordion museum right here in Rocky River, a wild safari in Port Clinton, a bicycle museum in New Bremen? Whether you are a city mouse, or a country mouse, Zurcher includes 52 irresistible locations you’ll want to visit, revisit, or discover, including: canoeing in Loudonville; antiquing throughout the state; visiting the State’s Prehistoric Indian mounds; touring the Mansfield Reformatory, where ”The Shawshank Redemption” was filmed; or sampling the fare at the wineries in Ohio. A word of warning, however, reading Mr. Zurcher’s book might make you hungry, as he also highlights some of the state’s ice cream shops, homemade chocolatiers, burger joints, and potato chip factories to name a few. In fact, I think this reviewer better go have a snack. While I’m snacking, I think I’ll plan my next trip–in Ohio! ~Carol
It’s all true, er, well, sort of! March 17, 2010
Posted by carol in Fiction, Thoughtful Ramblings, Uncategorized.add a comment
Yes. It’s true. No offense to nonfiction readers out there, but most nonfiction books make my eyelids heavy. I would much rather ‘escape’ with a good novel. That’s why I love reading historical fiction, which, for me is the perfect blend of reality and fiction. Often based on actual events, historical fiction lets me travel through time and place from the comfort of my own home (or wherever I may be reading). Where else can you make those kinds of travel arrangements?
Per usual, there are so many titles to choose from, but the following are a few of my favorite historical novels.
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Geraldine Brook’s Year of Wonders provided me the opportunity to (safely) visit England during the Plague outbreak in the 17th century.
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Michael Faber’s Crimson Petal and the White allowed me to walk the streets of Victorian England with Sugar, a 19-year-old prostitute and downright fabulous character.
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Luncheon at the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland gave me a behind the scenes look at Renoir’s creative process.
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Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha delivered what its title promised and more.
Are you inspired to dabble in the (fictionalized) truth? Try one from the list above. Otherwise, you can find more historical fiction here at Rocky River Public Library or at your own local library.
Read on and enjoy! ~Carol
Latest Addtions March 15, 2010
Posted by stacey in Uncategorized.Tags: Latest Additions, The Reading Room
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Unfortunately, there are just a few more technical difficulties that prevent new titles from being entered into The Reading Room… So instead, would you like to hear about our Genre Book Discussion books? Of course you would! Please read on to the next post where you will find what we read and what the next genre will be…
—Stacey
Times, They are a-changin’ March 12, 2010
Posted by carol in Thoughtful Ramblings, Uncategorized.add a comment
Well, actually, times aren’t changing just yet, but soon, the time will be changing thanks to Daylight Savings Time. Specifically, we can thank (or blame) Benjamin Franklin, who is credited with inventing it (in addition to inventing the odometer, the lightning rod and biofocals). 
The idea was to best use our daylight by shifting the clock forward in the Spring and backward in the Fall. Daylight Saving Time has been in use throughout much of the United States, Canada & Europe since World War I. Old news, you say. But wait…did you know that:
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Any State can opt out of Daylight Saving Time by passing a State law? In fact, neither Arizona or Hawaii participates in Daylight Savings. (Um, could residents of Hawaii get any luckier?)
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The corresponding time zones in Canada switch on the same dates the U.S., but some regions of in British Columbia and Saskatchewan do not use Daylight Saving Time.
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In Europe, Daylight Saving Time is referred to as “Summer Time.”
Here’s a cool link for more information on Daylight Savings Time and how it affects you: http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/b.html
Oh, and by the way, don’t forget to Spring Ahead on Sunday, March 14, 2010 when 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM!
~Carol
It’s Spring (Training)! March 9, 2010
Posted by carol in Thoughtful Ramblings, Uncategorized.add a comment
Yes. It is true. Despite how long a winter in the Cleveland area might feel when we are living through one, we all know it will end, and with the end comes our reward…Spring! I know I’m not alone in saying, “finally!”
There are so many good parts to Spring, it’s hard to pick a favorite: the temperature is up, birds are chirping, the days are longer, plants are growing despite that last bit of lingering snow, and I hear the sounds of cracking bats. (What?)
Yes, that’s right, all you baseball fans and fanatics, Spring Training has begun. While I don’t think I’ll make it to Goodyear, Arizona this year (where the Cleveland Indians have already won their first three preseason games!), you can bet I’ll catch the boys during the regular season when they are back in CLE. Did you know it’s been 62 years since the Cleveland Indians won the World Series. I am ready for them to try again! Go Tribe!
Oh, is baseball not your thing? Perhaps you’ll just have to be satisfied that it is finally Spring!
~Carol
Women’s History Month March 2, 2010
Posted by carol in Thoughtful Ramblings, Uncategorized.Tags: Women's History Month
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March is Women’s History Month!
2010 marks the the 30th anniversary of the National Women’s History Project. This year’s theme is “Writing Women Back Into History.” Here are a few cool facts about women in United States History:
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The first women’s rights convention met in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848.
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Wyoming Territory was first to grant women the vote in 1869.
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Edith Wharton was the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1921 for her novel The Age of Innocence.
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Amelia Earhart became the first woman to cross the Atlantic in an airplane in 1928.
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Madeleine Albright became the first female Secretary of State in 1997. In 2004, Condoleezza Rice became the second woman (& first African-American woman!) to hold that position. Five years later, in 2009, the former Senator (and First Lady) Hillary Rodham Clinton became the third female Secretary of State.
That’s just a taste of what women have done (so far) in this country. For more information on women’s history month, check out these resources:
http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history-month
http://www.nwhp.org/whm/index.php
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/studentnews/02/28/women.history.discussion.activity/index.html
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage_month/whm/index.html
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=25053835@N03&q=womensday&m=text
Of course, women are vital to society every day of every year, but it sure is nice to have a month set aside to do some in-depth research on your favorite woman artist, writer, politician, musician, engineer, scientist…well, you get the picture. So, c’mon, celebrate this March by learning a little something about the history of women. ~Carol
Oscar’s Literary Inspirations March 2, 2010
Posted by Dori in Fantasy, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Uncategorized.add a comment
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but there are a ton of literary connections among the Oscar nominations this year. Four of the nominees for best film at this year’s Oscars are based on books: Precious – based on the novel Push by Sapphire; The Blind Side - based on The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis; An Education – based on the memoirs of journalist Lynn Barber; and Up in the Air – based on the book by Walter Kirn.
Nominees in several other categories have literary influences as well, such as these in the best performances categories: Julie & Julia, based on the book by Julie Powell; Invictus, based on Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Changed the Nation by John Carlin; The Last Station, based on the book by Jay Parini (and about Leo Tolstoy to boot); The Lovely Bones, from Alice Sebold’s best-selling novel; and A Single Man, based on the book by Christopher Isherwood.
Coraline and Fantastic Mr. Fox, both based on award winning children’s books, are nominated for Best Animated Feature Film. Costume and Art Direction bring us more: Bright Star is about the life of John Keats and Sherlock Holmes, well, no need to explain. Coco Before Chanel is based on her biography entitled The World of Coco Chanel: Friends, Fashion, Fame. The latest in the Harry Potter franchise makes a showing in the category of Best Cinematography.
Even a couple of the films nominated for Best Foreign Film have their roots in the written word: The Secret in her Eyes, an Argentinian film, is based on the novel La pregunta de sus ojos by Eduardo Sacheri; and the oddest connection is that a Harvard anthropogist’s book about the legacy of violence in Peru inspired the film The Milk of Sorrow.
If I’ve missed any, let me know. Otherwise, that’s a wrap! – enjoy the Oscar’s this Sunday!
~ Dori
In Memoriam February 17, 2010
Posted by Donna in Uncategorized.add a comment
Considering this is Library Lovers’ Month and I love libraries and books and there are many authors who write those books that are found in our lovable libraries, I feel the need to make a comment on several notable literary deaths that I read about so far in 2010. (Do you think this will qualify for one of the longest sentences in the world?) The literary world will feel their loss but, thank goodness, their work will last forever in their books that are found in our wonderful, enchanting libraries.(Did I mention already that I love libraries?)
I have written about Robert B. Parker who died of a heart attack doing what he loved to do…writing in January. I am still bereft to think that Spencer will be gone from my reading world but I was glad to read that there still will be several books by Parker that will be published posthumously. Kage Baker, Louis Auchincloss, Howard Zinn, Erich Segal, J. D. Salinger and Miep Gies are just a few others that have recently died. Another one of my favorites, Dick Francis, died on Valentine’s Day at the age of 89. He was able to transport me to another world with his horse racing mysteries. His words will be carried on by his son, Felix, who will continue writing horse mysteries.
We even have lost a few poets these past two months. Lucille Clifton was one of my favorite poets. She died on February 13. Here is one poem that I love by her:
Homage to My Hips
these hips are big hips.
they need space to
move around in.
they don’t fit into little
petty places. these hips
are free hips.
they don’t like to be held back.
these hips have never been enslaved,
they go where they want to go
they do what they want to do.
these hips are mighty hips.
these hips are magic hips.
i have known them
to put a spell on a man and
spin him like a top
It’s a good thing that we have new writers to explore and enjoy every year. I look forward to read about some new authors and their first novels from our Adult Services’ next book discussion.
Happy Reading….think spring!
~Donna
